One of the phenomena that has contributed to the meteoric rise of the cannabis industry in the past few years has been the amounts of wealth that the stocks associated with the industry have yielded for savvy investors. Like any industry in its infancy investors have been flocking to get in on the ground floor of what is currently the fastest growing industry in the world.

We founded Technical420 based on principals of educating investors on everything cannabis and helping you identify the true opportunities that the industry is creating and to avoid the companies that are engaging in deceptive business practices.

We have put together what we like to think of as an investing 101 roadmap as we are commonly asked "how can I begin to buy stocks?". Please keep in mind that anything stated in this article is purely opinion based and we are not recommending that you act on any of the facts below.

How Do I Invest in the Stock Market?

While it may sound complicated, it is actually very easy to open a brokerage account to begin buying and selling stock. The easiest and cheapest way to start investing is by opening an online brokerage account.

Before selecting an online broker you should look into what features they offer. We recommend looking into the following:

Trading Platform - Is it easy to use?

Account Minimums - How much money do I need to open an account?

Company Information - Does it provide basic information/news about public companies?

Commissions/Fees - How much does it cost per trade?

Execution Speed - Not that important unless you are buying huge blocks of shares

Direct Deposit Ability - Can you deposit and withdraw money easily?

How Do I Open a Brokerage Account?

If you think that sounds complicated, you are not alone. Many of my smartest friends don't know how to open account. Trust me it is simple, all you need is:

Driver's license or Passport

Social Security Number or Tax ID number

Account number and Routing number for a Checking or Savings account

The new account form will ask you to bubble in your annual income, net worth, risk tolerance, and time horizon (how long you plan on investing for). The most complicated question that will be asked on the form is, where do you want your cash to be invested? All available options will pretty much generate the same return for you so your answer is not too important.

When Can I Trade?

Normal market hours are 9:30AM to 4:00PM Eastern Standard Time. An investor is also able to trade during extended hours, which can be during the pre-market (4:00AM to 9:30AM) and after-market (4:00PM to 8:00PM). The market is closed for nine U.S holidays.

These are:

New Year's Day

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Presidents' Day

Good Friday

Memorial Day

Independence Day

Labor Day

Thanksgiving Day

Christmas Day

How much money do I need to start trading?

That answer varies per investor. It depends on objectives, investment time horizon, annual income and net worth. We suggest starting with an asset allocation that you are completely comfortable with parting ways with as this is something that you should be fully aware can happen when investing.